Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-09-02
DAKOTA CROPS.
They Promise to be the Finest Ever Known.
and Largely in Excess of
Former Years.

and Largely in Excess of
Former Years.
The commissioner Of immigration has
issued the following letter: Wheat is re-
ported as harvested and in the stack in
most of the counties south of the forty
sixth parallel, and is now being gathered
in the counties farther north. Although,
as general thing the straw was shor', yet
all reports agree in saying that the heads
were we'll filled with plump, heavy kernels.
1t is believed that the present wheat crop
of the territory will grade No. l, with
scarcely locality excepted. From the re-
ports received by this Office during the
growing season the area sown to wheat
is estimated to exceed by twenty per
cent. that of last year-which would
make an approximate wheat area for
1887 of 3,899,389 acres. 1t is fair to
presume from the reports of farmers
as already published, and from the fact
that the present season has been SO gen.
orally favorable, that the yield for the ter
ritory will be an average one, and that the
wheat crop of 1887 will run considerably
over 40,000,000 bushels. The lowest esti-
mate SO far received of the seasons yield
of wheat in any one locality is ten bushels
per acre, and the highest forty. Take the
most conservative estimate and Dakotas
wheat crop, now being harvested, will ex-
coed any previous record of the territory,
or for thtS matter, the record of any state
of the Union, and will amount to more
than one-tenth of the entire crop of the
United States in 1887. Twenty-seven
counties report the condition of the corn
crop as having improved during the past
few weeks, and in twenty counties there
has been no change. The general average
for the territory shows that the growing
corn gained in condition three points, and
now lacks only eight points of
being an absolutely perfect crop
throughout the length and breadth
of Dakota. Seventy one, or more than
one-half of the individual reports on
which these estimates are based, place the
condition of the corn crop at 1O0-the very
highest figure used in the method adopted
by this Office. The crop is from ten days
to two weeks earlier than usual, and is ma
turing rapidly. There could not possibly
be stronger incentive to lead the farmer
toward on enlargement of the corn area
and the extension of mixed farming opera
tions in the succeeding years, than the
result of this seasons corn crop. From
carefully prepared estimates the area
planted to corn in 1887 is placed at 100000
acres; and on the basis of 80 bushels to the
acre the yield of 1855 the present corn
crop of Dakota will amount to nearly 3d.
100000, or about double that of 1886.
From the best obtainable advices it may bs
reliably stated that vegetables of all kinds
are up to the excellent record of years past.
On the Missouri slope crops of all kinds
are in very much better condition, owing
to the copious rains of the past few weeks,
than was anticipated. Oats and corn
especially are doing well, and vegetables
are being raised which would loom up con-
spicuously in any collection of splendid
garden produce on the face of the globe.
Hay is reported better than ever before
known, the late rains having given it o
magnificent boom.